U.S. Army Model 741
The first Indian motorcycle I bought was a model 741 (nominal production years 1940-1943) pictured here as a military motorcycle now in "civilian dress."
It engine was still 30.50 (about 500 cc) cubic inch displacement.
The small size and low power made it ideal for my learning hand shifting and foot clutching.
The simple history is that Indian Motocycle (sic) Company made these under an Army contract to make available to our Allies before the U.S entered the war (1940-1943). The specifications driven by British interest were for a 500 cc engine. They ended up mainly in England, France, Russia, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Intended for scouting and messenger service, they quickly became obsolete with the introduction of the Willys Jeep. So many were just abandoned. Sold as war surplus to the public after the war, they became cheap transportation for many.
The model 741 is very easy to modify and because of that, ironically, this low powered motorcycle was a favorite for modifying for racing.
The story goes that the earlier version fenders and a 19 in. front wheel (instead of the specified 18 inch wheel) were on this motorcycle when it was found in the mid 1950's well rusted in a barn adjacent to a military base in Florida.
I being 6 ft. 3 inches tall, the first alterations I made were to increase the seat height and raise the handle bars.
Soon the low power became intolerable and I had the displacement increased to 36 cubic inches (about 600 cc),
